Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the fifteen ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eleven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $26.6923.

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Levi Strauss & Co. in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price objective on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Levi Strauss & Co. from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Levi Strauss & Co. in a research note on Thursday, January 29th.

Levi Strauss & Co. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LEVI opened at $21.92 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $8.56 billion, a PE ratio of 15.02, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.33. Levi Strauss & Co. has a one year low of $12.17 and a one year high of $24.82. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $21.26 and a 200 day moving average of $21.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.55.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The blue-jean maker reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.02. Levi Strauss & Co. had a return on equity of 25.08% and a net margin of 9.20%.The company had revenue of $1.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.71 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.50 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. Levi Strauss & Co. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.400-1.460 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Levi Strauss & Co. will post 1.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Levi Strauss & Co. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be issued a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 10th. Levi Strauss & Co.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP David Jedrzejek sold 2,248 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.60, for a total transaction of $44,060.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 106,818 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,093,632.80. This trade represents a 2.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Jason Gowans sold 40,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.83, for a total transaction of $873,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 92,199 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,012,704.17. This trade represents a 30.26% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 49,341 shares of company stock valued at $1,068,909. Insiders own 1.25% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Levi Strauss & Co.

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of LEVI. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in Levi Strauss & Co. by 123,970.4% during the second quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,163,649 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $58,496,000 after buying an additional 3,166,203 shares in the last quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Levi Strauss & Co. in the third quarter valued at about $39,322,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. by 44.0% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,243,680 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock valued at $88,014,000 after buying an additional 1,296,474 shares during the last quarter. Oberweis Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Levi Strauss & Co. during the third quarter worth about $21,052,000. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in Levi Strauss & Co. by 83.4% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,958,271 shares of the blue-jean maker’s stock worth $36,208,000 after purchasing an additional 890,752 shares during the period. 69.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co is a global apparel company best known for its denim jeans and casual wear. Founded in 1853 in San Francisco by Bavarian immigrant Levi Strauss, the company pioneered the modern blue jean with the introduction of rivet-reinforced work pants. Over its more than 160-year history, Levi Strauss has evolved into a lifestyle brand, offering a broad portfolio that includes denim for men, women and children, as well as tops, outerwear, footwear and accessories.

The company’s flagship label, Levi’s®, is recognized worldwide for its iconic styles such as the 501® Original Fit Jeans, while additional brands, including Dockers®, Target core metric, and Denizen® by Levi’s, cater to diverse price points and consumer segments.